Butterfly Kisses
by spikessweetgirl75
Summary: Sequel to A Woman's Work. Jack's journey as a single father to the daughter he had with Rose. Based off song Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle


_(A/N: I've been watching youtube families and there's this one family and the relationship between father and daughter is so sweet. You could just read the love he has for his children, especially the daughter. It made me think of what kind of father Jack would have been if he had lost Rose. And then I thought of the song Butterfly Kisses. It's an old beautiful song about a father watching his daughter grow up. And so this small fic is born. Hope you enjoy:) This is the story of Jack and his daughter after Rose's death in A Woman's Work. The song Butterfly Kisses was written by Bob Carlisle)_

Rose had been gone for some time now. Ten years to be exact. It had been a rough ten years. Not a day had gone by that Jack didn't think about her, that he hadn't wished that she was there with him, watching their little girl grow up. He wished that he could visit her grave, but the furious Ruth had come to take Rose to Philadelphia and had Jack barred from the funeral. So he hadn't even gotten a proper goodbye. The hateful old woman hadn't even wanted to see the perfect baby that Rose had given her life for. She had called his angel an abomination that had killed her daughter. Which was ridiculous. Rose's death was not the baby's fault.

It was no one's. It was just one of those things. At least, that's what Molly had said when Jack had visited her right after Rose's death.

But it was just as well. Jack was glad that Ruth wanted no part of his little girl's life. She had been a horrid mother and probably would have been a worse grandmother. In fact, Rose had once stated that she hoped that her mother never met their daughter and Jack had agreed.

Josephine was the one light in his life and he'd be damned if Ruth Dewitt Bukater tarnished her like she had Rose.

Josephine. The one thing he had left of Rose. She was the one of two things that he knew that he had done right. One was rescuing and marrying Rose. And the other was Josephine. Honestly, sometimes he thought that she was sent straight from heaven. The best part though...she was daddy's little girl.

They were still in Santa Monica, California. They had never left really. Despite the heartache of losing Rose, Jack still felt it was the perfect place to raise his daughter. Sunshine and ocean breezes. It was all they both had wanted for their child. So Jack had managed to save and was able to buy a small ranch style house, big enough for just the two of them. It wasn't a mansion, but it was the biggest thing Jack had ever owned and to Josephine, it was a mansion.

It was Saturday morning, and it was Josephine birthday. Jack had a marvelous day planned for his princess. First was her favorite breakfast of french toast...then a homemade cake baked by himself. Over the years, he had learned how to cook more than the basic fair for his daughter. Then it was down to the pier, where pony rides were being offered. She had been wanting to learn how to ride since she could first walk and it was one of the things that reminded him most of Rose. He had indeed taught her how to ride like a man, and now it was time for him to teach their daughter the same skill.

Now it was time to go wake his beautiful daughter. It was time to start the day. Whistling what had become Josephine favorite song, Come Josephine, he walked to her room and opened the door to find the bedroom empty. He frowned. That was strange. Josephine was always the last one up, preferring to stay asleep for as long as possible before her father woke her up with kisses and cuddles.

"Josephine?! Josephine, where are you?" Jack called, looking around the room for a little girl with curly blond hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Daddy! In here! I made a cake!" an excited voice called from the kitchen.

He darted into the kitchen to find flour, milk, and sugar all over the table and Josephine taking what looked to be a lopsided cake out of the oven. Jack stared in disbelief, not knowing what to say. Where did she get it into her head to cook?

"Josephine, what have you done," He asked, staring at the mess.

"I wanted to make my birthday cake, daddy," The girl awkwardly. "I thought I would help you..."

Jack smiled, tears in his eyes. This was her special day and still she strive to help him take care of her. Ever since she learned that unlike other little girls, she lacked a mommy and Jack had to be both, she tried to help him in her sweet little girl way, not realizing that taking care of her was what kept him going after losing Rose. There was no one he loved more than the precious little girl covered in flour, holding a ruined cake.

"I know it looks funny, daddy..."

"But you tried, and that's all that matters," Jack smiled, taking the cake from her and sitting it aside. He scooped her up in his arms and held her close. "But baby, this is your special day. There was no need for you to even think about cooking. I know what you can do though. Go get cleaned up, take out that portfolio we brought last week and draw me the batch of flowers that's growing in the backyard. By time you're finished, breakfast will be ready."

"Yes daddy!" The little girl hugged him, rubbed her nose against his, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin like soft butterfly wings. "I love you daddy!"

Jack smiled happily, his heart already brimming with love for the precious girl in his arms. "I love you too, princess."

He sat her down and released her and watched her run to retrieve her portfolio before running outside. He had been amazed to find that his artistic talent had been handed down to his daughter. It was just one other thing that tied them so closely together.

She was ten today. In ten more years, she'll be the same age he had been when he had met her mother. Oh what will he do then? Would he be able to let her go? So she could make her life count? It'll kill him, but he would. He would never hold his little princess back.

…..

After breakfast, Jack took her down to the stables on the pier. It had been years since he had been there last. In fact, the last time he had been down there was with Rose, on their second anniversary. They had both ridden the horses in the surf, happy and carefree. Completely unaware of the shortened future ahead. Now he was returning, ten years later, with the daughter that Rose had given her life to bring into the world.

The owner of the stables was surprised and happy to see him again, and this time with his birthday girl, ready to learn to ride. Josephine was fascinated by the horses and had picked out a white pony to ride.

"Ah, you've picked Pegasus. Very good tempered pony," the kindly old man had smiled.

They sang Come Josephine in my flying machine as Jack walked the pony down to the edge of the beach and then helped his angel onto the animal.

"Walk beside the pony, Daddy! It's my first ride!" Josephine squealed in excitement, but yet still felt the need for Jack to be close by.

"There's no place I rather be, angel," Jack smiled as he walked beside the horse, making sure that it remained at a steady pace.

One hour later, they were returning the pony when Josephine asked for something that Jack knew that he wouldn't be able to give.

"Can I have a pony Daddy? Just like her?"

Jack just gave a tight smile, knowing that he couldn't possibly afford to buy her a pony, not to mention that there was no place to keep it.

"I'll tell you what, sweetie. We'll get a white kitten instead. But we'll come back here and I'm sure that Mr. Sanders wouldn't mind letting you ride Pegasus whenever you like."

She looked at the kind owner with big green eyes that matched her mother's. "Really?"

"Why of course, and because I like you, I'll give you a ten percent discount each time," the elderly man winked at Jack, who just gave a relieved smile.

As they reached home, Jack watched Josephine run around the backyard, picking flowers and sticking them into her head of blond curls. She gave him a joyful smile that filled him with a light that he had never known existed. It was her birthday, the day he had lost Rose, but the only thing he could think about was that smile and he knew that he didn't regret it...he didn't regret her. Rose may be gone, but she had given him this girl to love and cherish and he was grateful beyond words for that.

…..

The day was over. Cake had been eaten and presents given and now it was time for evening prayer. Jack stood in the doorway watching, as Josephine knelt by her bed, her hands folded and eyes closed.

Dear God,

Thank you for the pony and the kitten. Thank you most of all for my Daddy.

Aman

Jack smiled. He was always in her prayers it seemed. It made his heart ache with love with his little angel.

"Time to be tucked in," Jack entered the room, just as Josephine climbed up into bed.

He tucked in the covers around her and smiled down into her small face, his eyes brimming with love. You have sweet dreams, princess..."

"I love you, daddy," Josephine sighed as Jack leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers. He smiled at the familiar soft flutter of her eyelashes against his skin.

"I love you too, baby..."

Standing up, he turned off the light and closed the door, sighing. It was the same routine every night. Prayers. Tucking into bed. I love yous, and then butterfly kisses. It was those butterfly kisses that reminded him that all of the things that he may have done wrong, he had done something right to deserve the love of that little girl, who gave him a hug every morning and butterfly kisses at night.

…..

 _Six years later..._

It was another birthday, today. A birthday that counted sixteen years since he had lost the love of his life. It was a pain that had never and will never heal, but the pain was soothed by the smile of their daughter, now sixteen years old. She was the image of her mother with Jack's hair and sunny smile, but with Rose's curls, eyes, and heart shaped face. Not to mention an elegance and grace that must have come from her mother, while she had also inherited an artistic talent and sunny disposition from her father.

She was a year younger than her mother when Jack had met Rose and the resemblance between mother and daughter made his heart ache with memory. But he had never allowed her to know of that ache. Instead, he basked in the love that he had for the girl and she had for him. She was a part of him in a way that Rose could never be. She was born out of the true love he had shared with his soulmate sixteen years ago, and now the true beauty of that love was on display.

"Daddy, you don't mind if I have my birthday dinner with some friends tonight instead of at home here with you, do you?"

The question took him off guard. Their father/daughter birthday dinners had been a tradition since the moment she began eating solid foods. Now she wanted to change things? Be with her friends instead? He sighed, remembering when he had been sixteen. He no longer had any parents at that point and he was no longer in town to have friends, but he did remember the sense of excitement, thinking that he was just one step closer to true adulthood.

Now his daughter had that sense of impending adulthood. That need for freedom and to stretch her wings and fly. He remembered how he had met Rose and her mother's refusal to let her stretch her wings. How Ruth had her trapped in a guilded cage that Jack had to unlock. It took a sinking ship to free Rose from her mother's control.

He was not going to make the same mistake with Josephine. It hurt. He couldn't pretend that it didn't...but if he hoped to remain a part of Josephine's life...if he planned to keep their close relationship intact...he was going to have to start to let her go...starting now…

"Just don't stay out too late. Be home by ten," Jack forced a smile, hoping to hide the hurt that giving her permission had caused.

She squealed happily and ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug and kissing his cheek. "Thank you daddy!"

He smiled as he felt her eyelashes flutter against his skin. Again, he felt like he had done something right to deserve the love of this perfect, teenage girl.

He just wished that Rose could be there to see how beautiful their daughter had grown and help her take those first steps into womanhood. That would always be his one regret.

…..

 _Five years later..._

Jack stood in front of the door, watching her as she put on the last of her makeup and stood up to look at herself in the floor length mirror opposite the vanity table. She was lovely in her pure white dress and the veil that hid her intricately styled hair from view. She was the picture of perfection with good looks that she had inherited from both of her parents.

Sadly, Jack was the only one there in the flesh. He had been the only one there throughout her life, with Rose dying so their baby could live. The baby that was now the same age he was when he had met her mother. The baby girl that was going to change her name from Dawson to Calvert today.

Jack felt tears prickle his eyes as he thought about the years that had gone by. They had been full of heartache and joy and he treasured each and every one. He had tried his best to instill in his daughter the motto of make it count. He had worked hard on giving her the freedom that she craved as she grew older...and now...at last...it was time to set her free to fly away into a life of her own.

"Does my dress look pretty daddy?" she spun around, admiring the spun silk.

"Gorgeous princess," Jack smiled, brimming with pride.

She looked at him with a curious smile, reading him just as easily as he had once read her mother. Another gift gained from him. "What are you thinking about, daddy? You look deep in thought."

He shrugged, not really sure what to say. "I'm not really sure...it's just...I feel like I'm losing my baby girl. I knew this day was coming...I just hadn't expected it to come so quickly..."

"Oh daddy!" She gave him another one of her hugs. She pulled away and smiled brightly, looking even more like her mother, causing tears to raise up in his eyes. "It's almost time to walk me down the aisle, daddy...oh daddy, don't cry!"

He smiled and wiped away his tears, not wanting to upset her on her special day. "These are happy tears, my Josephine. I am so proud of you..."

She gave him a sad smile as he used his old nickname of my Josephine. It was bitter sweet, because she wasn't going to be his Josephine anymore. She was going to be her husband's Josephine. After all these years of raising her and seeing her to adulthood, it was finally time to let her go.

As he walked her down the aisle and gave her away. As he stood back and watched her take her wedding vows and take the needed steps out of his life an into her own, he knew that he couldn't ask for more. He may have lost Rose, but in her place, he had gained this perfect angel that he had a hand in molding into this wonderful young woman.

In raising Josephine, Jack Dawson realized what love truly was. It was sweet, bitter, full of tears and laughter and pain. It was loosening the strings and finally letting go. It was memories of a hug every morning and butterfly kisses at night.


End file.
